Chapter Ninety-Nine: Where Does the Dust Settle?

Lin Jiyan stepped out of her room and suddenly noticed a faint candlelight seeping through the gap of a guestroom door diagonally opposite. Faint voices could be heard from within. Judging by the direction, it appeared to be the room of the senior brother and sister from the Refining Sect.

She approached the door and looked closely—it was indeed so, but there was an additional person inside: a young monk with delicate features, standing with palms joined in a peaceful demeanor. The senior brother, usually vigilant, caught a glimpse of a shadow outside the door with his peripheral vision and tensed. When he recognized the visitor as Lin Jiyan, the envoy of the Demon Suppression Office, he relaxed his guard and, with a hint of calculation, beckoned her inside.

Knowing her presence was exposed, Lin Jiyan cleared her throat and pushed the door open. The young monk, seeing her in a dark official uniform—strange in style but clearly bearing an authoritative air—immediately bowed with joined palms and asked, “Amitabha, may I ask if the lady is a member of the Demon Suppression Office?”

Before Lin Jiyan could reply, the senior brother interjected, “More than just a member. Young master, don’t be fooled by her age; this young lady is the envoy of the Demon Suppression Office.”

Lin Jiyan blushed slightly and hastened to wave her hand, “The title of envoy is merely honorary. I am but an ordinary cultivator within the Office.”

The young monk’s eyes flickered with surprise. He thought to himself, “This Tidewatch Inn truly conceals formidable talents, even an envoy of the Demon Suppression Office stays here.”

Suddenly recalling something, he surveyed the senior brother and sister, then looked at Lin Jiyan again and said with folded hands, “I see. So the envoy’s presence here must be…”

His words caught, for the senior brother shot him a sharp glare and was about to silence him. Realizing his misstep, he quickly amended, “…also to investigate the anomalies within this inn?”

Lin Jiyan, unaware of the subtleties, answered softly, “That matter has been settled. Now, I am merely here to rest for a while.”

After speaking, her gaze turned to the young monk. Noting his clear, upright bearing, unlike one harboring ill intent, she inquired, “May I ask your Dharma name and which sacred temple you hail from?”

The monk folded his hands and replied, “I am Zhi Fei, from Yuntai Temple.”

“Yuntai Temple?” Lin Jiyan’s eyes brightened as if recalling something. “Is it not the temple renowned for suppressing a Abyssal Calamity-level fiend for several centuries?”

Zhi Fei was slightly taken aback; he did not expect this seemingly youthful girl to know such ancient secrets. He nodded, “Indeed, that is our temple. I did not expect someone so young to possess such extraordinary knowledge.”

Lin Jiyan said, “The fiends ranked among the Four Calamity Sequences, as long as they remain unexterminated, their files are kept in the Office’s archives. I have merely glanced through them occasionally.”

Though she spoke casually, the senior brother and sister were deeply shaken. Though not members of the Demon Suppression Office themselves, they knew the archives were a critical and heavily guarded place, accessible only to those with great authority. That such a young envoy could know about Abyssal Calamity-level secrets implied her backing was no ordinary force.

Curious, Lin Jiyan asked further, “When I reviewed the files, a doubt arose. Though these Abyssal Calamity-level fiends are formidable, with Yuntai Temple’s centuries of heritage, a concerted effort should be able to slay them outright.”

“If that failed, one could petition Her Majesty the Empress to dispatch troops to exterminate the demons. Why then does your temple only suppress them generation after generation, instead of eradicating them permanently?”

Zhi Fei smiled bitterly and shook his head, “Your question is one that has long puzzled me as well. This is why I have descended from the mountains—to seek answers among the mortal realm.”

The senior brother found this amusing and interjected, “Your elders at the temple don’t tell you, so you come down to seek answers instead?”

Zhi Fei folded his hands again, “The abbot once said that the karmic ties no longer reside within the temple, but in the world below. My pilgrimage is not for alms of rice or money, but to gather the myriad forms of worldly affairs, a strand of fate, a wisp of karmic burden.”

The senior brother chuckled, “Sounds so mystical, but in plain terms, aren’t you just coming down to hear human stories?”

Zhi Fei smiled faintly, “You could say that, to some extent.”

Lin Jiyan nodded thoughtfully, sensing the profound subtlety of Buddhist cultivation. She had heard that some monks must descend into the secular world for cultivation, but had not realized that exterminating demons required such worldly experience.

Her gaze shifted to the senior brother and sister, and she asked casually, “By the way, may I inquire your names and the reason for your descent from the Refining Sect?”

At her question, the smile that had just surfaced on the senior brother’s face instantly froze as if doused in cold water. He opened his mouth, glanced at his sister who remained impassive, and sighed deeply without a word.

Zhi Fei, sensing they had touched upon a painful subject, quickly bowed and said, “It grows late. I have troubled you all enough. I shall return to my room to rest.”

Lin Jiyan, perceptive herself, did not press further and replied, “I shall also take my leave. Please rest well.”

Once they had left, only the senior brother and sister remained. The brother looked at his sister and said, “Sister, I think that envoy Lin is no ordinary person and seems kind-hearted. Perhaps we could confide in her and seek her help?”

The sister sighed softly, “Have you forgotten what fate befell the brothers and sisters who tried to escape or report to the authorities?”

The brother shuddered but stubbornly said, “So we are to wait here to die?”

Her eyes flickered with a different thought but she only whispered, “Living another day is all we can hope for.”

Suddenly recalling Zhi Fei’s words, the brother sneered quietly, “Though the demons are filth, they are excellent materials for forging…”

“Perhaps Yuntai Temple cannot handle the Abyssal Calamity-level fiends alone and fears that if they call for the court’s help, the benefits will all go to the officials. So they have dragged this on for centuries.”

He paused, looking bleakly at his sister in confusion, “The Refining Sect is corrupt, Yuntai Temple is corrupt, the Demon Suppression Office and even the court behind it are corrupt, and even the inn where we hide is not clean.”

“Sister, do you think there is anywhere left in this vast world that is truly clean?”

...

Lin Jiyan stepped out of that room and descended the stairs, prepared to go to the backyard, but her steps involuntarily halted. Suddenly, the strange tale spoken earlier by Shangguan Chuci surfaced in her mind.

“The second point: Shopkeeper Lu usually stays in the backyard. Unless it is truly urgent, do not disturb him back there.”

Recalling this, the eerie happenings she witnessed last night in the backyard came flooding back. A chill rose along her spine, but after a moment, she slowly shook her head.

Silently, she told herself, “Have you not already come to believe that young Master Lu is not a villain?”

“He compelled dark power to save you, so who knows if any hidden injuries remain? Your visit won’t be a disturbance, just a glance for peace of mind.”

With that thought, her fear faded, and her heart beat faster. She bit her lip gently, then stepped forward toward the backyard.